


Hurt

by supernovagirl99



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25862308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernovagirl99/pseuds/supernovagirl99
Summary: When our favorite duo gets injured, Inuyasha comes out a little worse for wear. Not a Song Fic but inspired by "Hurt" by Johnny Cash.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. What have I become

**Author's Note:**

> Also on FFN. "Hurt" by supernovagirl99.

_I hurt myself today_  
_To see if I still feel_  
_I focus on the pain_  
_The only thing that's real_

* * *

Fighting a losing battle to keep his nose clear, Inuyasha pressed his forehead against Kagome's as tears stained down his face.

"Hey," he whispered hoarsely before trying to clear his nose again and pressing another kiss to her temple, "You remember...you remember that time when...when..."

A shuddering sob escaped him against his will as he tried to come up with something to say and came up short. She couldn't leave him. At least not like this...

"If you stay, I'll...I'll never fight with you again, okay?" he pleaded like that would somehow convince her injuries they could disappear, "You never...you can go home however long you want. Whenever you want. I'll carry you...but...but you've got to stay with me."

In literally any other situation Inuyasha would have cringed at the way his voice was cracking. The sound of pain and desperation almost tangible. The way anyone could hear his pointless attempts to keep his runny nose clear. The way anyone could see his tears. But it'd be worth it if she lived. It would all be worth it.

Kagome gave him a pained smile as one trembling hand reached up and touched his cheek. Leaning into the token of affection, he nuzzled her palm as another sob broke free.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he managed after a moment, "I should've seen it coming. I...I should've been faster."

"It's...okay..." Kagome finally found the strength to speak and Inuyasha replied with a whine as more tears broke free.

"Don't leave me. _Please_ don't..."

They were too far from Kaede's village. At least a days non-stop run. But she was losing so much blood. Her scent already had hints of death marring it. She wouldn't make it.

"Just stay with me," he whimpered as he held her broken body as closely as he dared, "You have to stay with me."

When her body went limp, Inuyasha had to bite back a scream before he realized she was still breathing. Sniffling again, he closed his eyes and focused all his senses on her heartbeat which was still present.

"Okay," he choked as his tried to stay calm and he glanced around for shelter, "She...she needs..."

It was so hard to stay focused when grief and despair were clouding his mind. Every fiber of his being felt cold and weak. Like the very strength had been sapped right out of him.

"You need to stay with me," he choked as he unsteadily got to his feet with the quickly fading Kagome cradled in his arms, "Just...just hold on, alright?"

Running towards a village, any village, seemed like his only option. Him trying to haphazardly fix her wounds would take precious time she simply didn't have. It felt like hours before a village finally came into view and he ignored the onslaught of screams that started at his approach.

"I need..." he tried hoarsely as he skidded to a half in the middle of the village, "I need a healer. Please."

The defeating silence that followed him went completely unnoticed over the pounding of his heart in his ears. His nose too congested to even pick up any scents.

" _Please_?" he added desperately as a new onslaught of tears started falling - his entire being was trembling from the effort of standing upright. His head was swimming and it was getting hard to see straight.

A woman came into his blurry line of vision with her hands held up in clear surrender.

"Can I see her?" the woman asked softly and Inuyasha nodded as he slowly unfurled his arms. The woman glanced over the various wounds with a small frown before giving him a sympathetic smile, "Come with me."

Letting out a choked sob of relief, Inuyasha followed after the woman who led him into a hut.

"How did she get hurt?" the woman asked gently as she began to collect supplies before pausing and looking over at the half-demon who was clearly about to lose it completely. His entire focus was on the woman in his arms and the way he was swaying indicated he was probably hurt as well. Either that or about to pass out from shock.

"Lay her down on the futon," the woman ordered gently and Inuyasha blinked once before nodding and doing as instructed.

"Is she your wife?" she asked as she gathered her supplies and knelt down beside her patient, "I'll need to expose her is why I ask."

"I..." he choked miserably as his bottom lip trembled and another tear slid down his cheek, "I...hurt..."

Sighing, the woman decided it wasn't worth trying to get answers when each moment was precious and began to undress the miko before a trembling clawed hand suddenly made that task easier. A single talon ripped the top garment in half and then the poor man was gently lifting the broken woman to help in the removal of the rest of her clothes.

"Thought...easier..." he managed in between choked rasping breaths before he finally answered the first question, "I...I was... and...and then this...hid its..got her."

His mind was flatlining and it was becoming a battle to use words at all. The fact that the woman hadn't even commented on the fact that he was a demon wasn't even registering. All his mind could process was that Kagome was injured and someone was helping.

"It looks like it got you too," the woman replied gently as she began cleaning Kagome's wounds to get a better look at what she was working with. As he watched the woman begin tending to the injuries, Inuyasha realized vaguely that it didn't even feel like he was actually there. Like he was looking through a lens of some sort. Everything sounded a thousand miles away and his head felt endlessly heavy.

"Once I have her stabilized, do you want me to tend to your wounds as well?" the woman's voice faintly registered in his ears and it occurred to him that he was shaking his head.

"Will...she...is…?" he mumbled barely louder than a whisper – unable to voice the question for more reasons than one.

"Do you remember what type of demon it was?" the woman asked evasively as her eyes skimmed over the black spiderlike vines slowly emerging on the out of it half-demon's skin. Inuyasha sluggishly shook his head as his glazed over amber eyes continued watching the healer tend to Kagome's wounds. The young woman bit her lip as she tried to decide which patient needed her more in this moment. Whatever poison or spell the girl had been hit with was visibly less severe than the boys but that didn't really mean anything. The spiritual aura radiating off the girl might be the reason. A miko able to purify whatever demonic poison was still suffering from said poison. That being said, the boy wasn't able to purify it and was fading with each passing second. Not that he seemed to notice. If given the choice, though, if she put him first, she imagined he'd put up a fight. All he cared about was this girl and he'd die to make sure she lived. That much was abundantly clear.

Letting out a shaky sigh, Inuyasha's increasingly slow mind finally pinpointed what it hoped was an important detail.

"Pointy. Legs," he offered hoarsely before shaking his head to clear it. That wasn't what he meant to say at all and his description was less than helpful.

"Porcupine?" the woman asked slowly as she grabbed another salve and began applying it to Kagome's wound, "Scorpion? Centipede?"

Inuyasha blinked at her for a moment before he nodded.

"That one," he replied hoarsely as he lifted a trembling hand and made a generic gesture that the woman assumed to demonstrate its size, "Small."

"Why don't you lay down, hn?" the woman mumbled nervously as her eyes flicked to the unoccupied portion of the futon, "I'm going to make you some tea while you wait."

"No. Her," he sighed although Inuyasha *did* do as she asked. As soon as he was in a horizontally position, however, his eyelids grew heavy and it became more difficult to stay awake.

"Did you hit your head?" the woman asked suddenly and Inuyasha lolled his head in her direction. Blinking sluggishly, he tried to think about the incident but everything other than Kagome being hurt was a blur. He could have. There had been a battle. And his neck did hurt.

The woman bit her lip - her eyes focused on the patient she was already addressing.

"Sit up, okay? Give me just a moment and I'm going to give you a tea that might help," the woman opined as her black eyes flicked up to meet his classy amber stare. One of her hands reached for an ointment which she began applying to the miko's wounds. Inuyasha hummed once as he considered doing just that but his body felt entirely too heavy to move. The room felt like it was tilting and swirling and his body did as well. Nausea swirled unchecked in his stomach as he floated in a sea of borderline nothingness.

But whatever was happening to him didn't matter. Someone...someone was...

One of his hands blindly reached for Kagome's wrist and he pressed the pads of his fingers against her pulse. He couldn't hear anything. Couldn't smell anything. But he could feel the unsteady beat beneath his fingertips and that was enough.

His grip weakened slightly as the inside of his head sloshed heavily and he fought against the urge to pass out.

"Stay awake," the woman ordered urgently and he suddenly felt a hand patting his face, " _No, no, no._ You need to..."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"And _why_ are we helping this half-breed again?" a young man grunted as he forced the heavier than he looked, half-naked hanyou upright. The healer gave him a chiding glance before tilting her patient's head up and trying to force an antidote down his throat. As one hand stroked his neck to get the unconscious man to swallow, she let out a shaky breath before replying.

"The kami would not have guided him here unless they meant for me to treat them," she managed as she watched some of the tea dribble out of the patient's mouth, "It is my duty as a healer to tend to those who need me."

"How do we even know that he wasn't the one who attacked this girl?" the man replied as he nodded towards the young miko they'd just moved onto a separate futon, "What if he wakes up and attacks us too?"

"You didn't see him…"

"Oh I _saw_ him," the young man grunted as he struggled to keep the half-demon upright, "Showing up covered in blood crazed out of his mind."

"I think that girl is his wife, Enji," the healer chided gently before meeting his gaze, "If it was me in that condition, wouldn't you be panicked?"

"That's different. I'm _human_ ," he retorted but he did seem to relax a little, "Besides if he was this bad off, how did he even get here?"

"Love is a strong motivator," she murmured as she set down the cup and picked up a small rag to clean up the tea that had gurgled out, "That and from how he was acting, I don't think he even knew he was injured. He might have been in shock."

"Well the locals are restless with him being here," Enji pointed out as he gave his wife a weary look, "They might drive us out after you finish up."

"Well that's their decision. I'd like to see them to replace their _only_ healer," she huffed as she gave her husband a side-eyed glare, "Their only miko. I'm sure there are plenty lining up to take my place for the stipend they give me."

"Well that _would_ be the silver lining. Move to a richer village and you'd get paid more," he chuckled darkly, "Wouldn't have the protection of your father though."

"It is nice to have connections," she agreed as she tilted Inuyasha's head slightly to get a better look at his neck wound and ran a finger over the two distinct puncture wounds where the black veins seemed to originate, "It looks like whatever he fought bit him here. Poison would explain his fever."

"Let me see," Enji breathed as he slacked his grip and stood higher on his knees, "Got him good, didn't it?"

"It only slashed the girl," she muttered as she glanced over her shoulder, "I gave her some antidote just in case but from what I'm seen, her injuries are just flesh wounds. Deep but not lethal."

"So because he's a demon he'll live, right?" Enji asked as he looked up at his wife's face and she sighed.

"I'm not sure. Maybe?"

"He's lucky he came here and not somewhere else," her husband opined after a long moment as he gave his wife an adoring smile, "You were always different."

"That's why you married me," she teased as she gestured for Enji to lay their patient back down, "I've never treated a demon before. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing. If he'll heal himself or…"

"Well it looks like that wound on his stomach is closing up," the young man replied as he rolled – with effort – the patient onto his side. Swearing softly, her husband let out a shaky breath as he glanced up at his wife, "It went all the way through. How on earth was he moving?"

"Demons are built differently. Even half-demons. Keep him like that so I can wrap a bandage on it," she ordered instead of giving a straight answer, "I'm not sure what good it'll do but it has to do something, right?"

"'Gome," came a mumbled hoarse voice as the half-demon's eyes fluttered and he shifted before flinching.

"There's no need to apologize. You just need to stay still. You're still healing," the healer soothed awkwardly as she gave her husband a confused look only to make a noise of understanding when he silently pointed at the girl. That must be her name.

"Uh, _Gome_ will live," she amended and the half-demon's eyes continued to flutter as a relieved sigh escaped his lips, "Can you move?"

But there was no response as the hanyou appeared to black out once more.

"Really? You thought he was saying sorry?" her husband snorted in a teasing fashion and she blushed.

"It sounded like he was apologizing," she huffed defensively. Enji grinned before leaning over and giving her a quick kiss.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Inuyasha tried to listen to the conversation going on around him but his mind felt too foggy to make sense of any of it. The healer was still there but paying more attention to him than Kagome. Which meant one of two things. One, Kagome was stabilized and therefore, the healer was tending to injuries he'd apparently gotten. Or two Kagome was dead. It was that last thought that had him calling out to his woman and although Kagome herself hadn't answered, he got the answer he wanted. Kagome was fine. Well not fine but not in serious danger.

He could feel the injuries now that some of the adrenaline had worn off. Feel the heat radiating off him like a brick in an oven. Based on the pain, Inuyasha managed to determine that the worst of his injuries were on his neck and shoulder. It was strange but he honestly didn't remember getting hurt. Sure that centipede had rounded on him when he came to the miko's rescue but…

He never should have gone fishing. Why hadn't he brought Kagome with him? They should've stayed together instead of thinking they could divide and conquer the task of preparing dinner. It seemed so stupid in retrospect. So reckless. And now Kagome had been hurt. Because he'd failed her.

Those thoughts were coming just fine even though everything else seemed muddied. For the life of him, he couldn't hear much other than those voices right next to him. Couldn't smell anything. Couldn't taste anything. Even pain felt muted.

A tear welled in the corner of his eye as he tried to find Kagome's scent but came up short. He needed to know she was okay. Maybe the healer missed something. Maybe Kagome was suffering and just couldn't say anything. It also wouldn't hurt if she was closer so he could feel her and know for certain she was alive. If she died…

He couldn't finish that thought as the heaviness in his head sloshed around and every muscle seemed to go slack. The last thing he was concerned about was his own well-being. It wasn't like something this stupid could kill him. It wasn't like…it wasn't…

The last thing Inuyasha registered was a faint gasp and an urgently whispered, _"He's not bre..."_


	2. My sweetest friend

_The needle tears a hole_   
_The old familiar sting_   
_Try to kill it all away_   
_But I remember everything_

* * *

Kagome woke up to the sounds of a crackling fire, crickets and extremely labored breathing that wasn't her own. It was that last sound that had her eyes flying wide open and her body trying to bolt into a sitting position before a firm hand forced her down.

"He's alright. For now," a male voice chuckled darkly as he met Kagome's alarmed gaze, "That centipede that attacked you must have injected him with poison of some kind. You've both been in and out for about three days. How are you doing?"

" _Three_ **_days_**?!" Kagome hissed as she tried to sit up and the male continued to hold her down. The man in question looked only a year or two older than her. His tanned skin free of wrinkles and he still had a little baby fat on his face that hadn't fully gone away. His jet black hair was pulled into a top knot and his dark brown eyes while weary were kind. Which made sense seeing as he was helping Inuyasha who by all accounts he should hate per the norms of the day.

Shaking the thought free and cringing that it had even crossed her mind, Kagome gave up her struggles and turned her head towards the source of the painful sounds.

And froze.

Never had she seen Inuyasha so pale and it was clear he'd been vomiting at some point. Little chunks were still clinging just under his chin and even with her human nose, she could pick up the sickening scent of bile. The half-demon's skin was a chalky shade of grey and his normally perky ears were drooping. As sapphire eyes trailed over his exposed torso, she gasped in horror at the black spiderlike veins that covered most of his right side before finally whipping her head back towards the man still holding her down.

"I know it looks bad," he sighed heavily as he removed his hand and sat back on his knees, "But believe it or not, how he is now is an improvement."

That statement was the opposite of reassuring. As was the fact that somehow their fate now lay in the hands of complete strangers. Which was odd. From what Kagome could recall, Inuyasha had stopped about half a day's journey from the nearest village. On purpose. It seemed like every village they'd encountered recently had some comment to say about a miko traveling with a 'half-breed' or 'demon.' Every accusation and insult in the book thrown at him despite the fact that he was there to save the villagers' miserable necks. While an outside observer wouldn't be able to tell, Kagome knew her Inuyasha better and it was the subtle changes in his body language that let her know those comments did in fact bother him. Little things like stopping in the middle of nowhere to take a break rather than staying at the village they had just saved. Refusing the meal the villagers had offered to show their gratitude in favor of catching their own food and spending time alone together. Right before they'd been attacked, he'd actually been uncharacteristically affectionate.

He had tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Kagome let out a shuddering breath as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. The centipede had snuck up on them out of nowhere. Inuyasha hadn't been gone more than a five minutes when the damn thing attacked. Somehow the assailant had masked its aura and by the time she had realized it was there, it was too late. It slashed her before she could even reach for her bow. The shock of it had knocked her unconscious and by the time she woke up, Inuyasha was pleading with her to stay with him. At the time, she could see he was covered in blood but she assumed…she assumed it must have been hers. Or the demons. If she had known he was hurt this badly…

Well there wouldn't have been a lot she could've done actually. She passed out sometime after that and woke up three freaking days later in a stranger's home.

"How did we get here?" Kagome sniffled as she gently wiped away the linger traces of sick from his chin with her pinky. The man quickly offered her a piece of cloth with which she cleaned her hand. That done she weakly rested her palm against Inuyasha's cheek and ran her thumb across his heated skin.

"Well your husband here showed up in a dead panic," the man began with a dejected sigh and Kagome cast him a strange glance. Where on earth had he gotten the idea she was married to Inuyasha? The man continued in a sad voice, "I don't know how he got here in his condition but all he cared about was that you were taken care of. By the time my wife realized he was hurt worse, he was already too bad off and has been unconscious ever since."

Kagome's heart broke a little at the thought of a bloodied and battered and clearly injured Inuyasha risking running into a human village just to save her. They probably had sent him away and only brought him back because they thought…

"Your wife treated him. She's a healer?" the miko asked as she glanced at the man who was giving her a look full of pity. And who suddenly looked rather nervous.

"So technically my wife is a miko," he began slowly as he fidgeted slightly in his seat, "I mean surely _you_ understand. It is entirely possible for a miko to marry and retain their powers. So long as the love is pure…and…well you know, it actually makes sense for mikos to marry because how else do spiritual powers occur over generations. You should understand given…give your relationship. With him. I mean…he is half human so obviously…um, things happen."

It sounded like an excuse that this poor man had used a thousand times if not more. And an excuse that hadn't worked more often than not. It also struck her as odd that _his_ relationship was what he was focused on rather than the fact that he was assuming she had married a demon. Something which Kagome wasn't ready to deny just yet. That might be the only reason why this man's miko wife hadn't tried to purify Inuyasha.

"We have a friend that's a _very_ promiscuous monk whose father was slept around just as often so believe me when I say I doubt virginity and spiritual powers go hand in hand," Kagome chuckled darkly and the man made a small noise of understanding.

"My thoughts exactly," the man sighed in relief, "I'm hoping that…that our child one day will be like her. I'm rather normal but…"

He seemed to realize this wasn't exactly the most appropriate conversation and he quickly changed course.

"So as it would happens a monk did come by yesterday asking about you two," the man hummed guiltily, "We lied and said we hadn't seen you. We didn't know if he was hunting you guys or something. If we had known he was a friend…"

"Did a slayer come by too?" Kagome asked wryly and she heard the man groan.

" _Yes_ , but the slayer was _female_ so my wife was suspicious," the man begrudgingly admitted, "She came by today. Almost stormed in here but my wife managed to convince her not to."

"How long ago was that?" Kagome asked quietly as she gently brushed some sweat dampened hair away from Inuyasha's face and the man sighed.

"Not too long before you woke up," he admitted, "I can go see if the slayer is still here if you want. She seemed rather determined to stay."

"Her name is Sango," Kagome informed him wearily, "And yeah, if she's still here I'd like to see her."

"Don't move," the man warned as he got to his feet, "Every so often he'll wake up looking for you and won't, uh, _settle_ until he does. Every time he gets up those black lines spread and we're trying to prevent them from getting near his heart."

"Settle?" Kagome repeated hoarsely and the man chuckled nervously before clearing his throat.

"About that..." the man began slowly, "I've never really been around demons but I _imagine_ it's not normal for his eyes to change like that, right? Or is the yellow a sign of illness?"

The miko's heart absolutely plummeted as the full gravity of the situation hit her. Inuyasha only turned full demon when he was dying or at least in _danger_ of dying. Swallowing thickly, Kagome struggled to find a reasonable explanation other than oh, by the way, what the eye thing _actually_ means is that Inuyasha might go on a murderous rampage so please run.

"I mean the eye thing went _away_. When he found you that is," the man quickly backpedaled nervously, "Moving you seemed to make him _calmer_. Kept him from getting up."

"Did he attack..."

"What? _No_! He just... _stared_ at us then would try to find you. Once he did that he usually collapsed," the man sighed shakily, "My names Enji by the way. I just realized I never…and my wife is Hana. Just stay there and I'll, uh, go see if your friend…"

Kagome nodded as Enji trailed off and quickly left the hut before turning her full attention back on the obviously fading Inuyasha. In all the time they'd been together, she'd seen him impaled, poisoned, burned and almost every injury in the book but never, _never_ had she seen something like *this*. Whatever attacked them couldn't have been a centipede and if it *was*, it was unlike any they'd ever encountered before.

A part of her wondered whether Naraku was somehow involved. That would explain how a lowly centipede hid its aura and how such a creature managed to inject Inuyasha with god knows what. In fact, this had Naraku written all over it. That…that bastard knew Inuyasha would fight to protect her especially if he thought her life was in danger. That Inuyasha would panic and probably get sloppy. Or maybe the centipede was on his A game and took advantage of the opportunity when it was given to him. Except why attack out of the blue? Obviously this centipede was intelligent enough to hide its aura. It hadn't taken the jewel shards off her neck once he'd incapacitated her. And while it _maimed_ her, he'd obviously held back his more lethal attacks for Inuyasha. Yeah, Naraku was somehow involved here. That much was certain.

"You're going to be alright," Kagome cooed as she tried her best to stay calm. Now that she was a little more awake, the wounds in her stomach were definitely screaming but she stubbornly ignored the pain. Inuyasha needed her.

His brow furrowed slightly before a wheezy sigh escaped him and he tilted his head into her touch.

"'Gome," he mumbled as his eyelids fluttered but failed to open. Each breath came deeper and more labored as he struggled to wake up or move or whatever he was trying to do.

" _Shhhh_ , I'm fine," she promised and that seemed to calm him some, "You just need to focus on getting better, okay?"

His eyes fluttered again as his brow knitted together like he was thinking extremely hard.

"Hurt," he finally whispered before a series of wet ragged gasping coughs erupted and his entire body seized up. Panicking slightly, Kagome tried to figure out what to do as the coughs continued and an alarming sprinkling of blood suddenly appeared on the soft cotton sheet they'd been laying on.

 _"Prop him up,"_ she breathed to herself as she awkwardly fumbled with him tense body and wormed her way behind him – biting back tears as she did so. It was clear that the stitches the healer had put it snapped under the strain and friction given the wetness she suddenly felt but she ignored it. Still she ignored it as she wrapped her arms across his chest to hold him upright.

"You're okay. You're okay. You're okay," Kagome murmured as he continued gasping for air before she felt his aura flare. Oh, this was not good. Not good at all. If he went full demon…

"'Gome," a gravely voice suddenly hissed – obviously out of breath and forced – before a clawed hand suddenly gripped her arm so tightly it hurt, "My 'Gome. _Mine_."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome managed to ask between gritted teeth. The strain on her wound was really starting to get to her. Where the heck did that guy go when she needed him? As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Inuyasha lolled his body forward and turned to face her – his eyes fully crimson and jagged purple lines appearing on his cheeks. Those eyes should have scared her but given that those eyes were probably the only reason he was still breathing, Kagome couldn't find herself to be anything other than relieved.

Even when those unfocused eyes met her own gaze and then snapped to the wound on her stomach. For a moment he merely stared at the slowly oozing wound before he sighed – actually freaking _sighed_ – before pressing his hand against the wound on her stomach.

"Hurt? 'Gome hurt?" he asked – the sound guttural and strange – before he lifted his head and blankly stared at the door, "Gone?"

Was he…was he asking where the healer had gone? And had his full demon self been able to use words this whole time and just choose not to?! Probably. It just never had a reason to before. It typically only came out to _murder_.

"They're going to be back soon," Kagome replied carefully and she almost fainted when the full youkai version of Inuyasha nodded like he understood what she was saying. Maybe he did? Clearing his throat, Kagome shakily held her arms out and gestured for him to come closer. Again, there was a moment where he just stared before crawling forward and settling with his head on her chest and his body awkwardly against her side.

"Hurt," he mumbled by way of explanation as he once again pressed his hand to her wound and leaned more of his weight against her, "Here. Gone?"

"They'll be back soon," Kagome repeated as she pressed a quick kiss atop his sweaty bangs and he let out a wheezy sounding sigh.

" _Gone_?" he repeated as his hand once again rested on her stomach and it finally dawned on her what he was asking.

"It hurts a little but I'm going to be fine."

This seemed to calm him down _somehow_ and his eyes finally fluttered close. Letting out a shuddering breath, Kagome idly scratched the base of one ear as her mind tried to process what was happening. Normally whenever he turned into a full youkai he was violent and didn't know anyone – himself included. Now he…now he almost seemed in control. At least to a degree.

"Tired. Here?" the full demon Inuyasha mumbled with a wheezy sounding sigh – his nose nuzzling her sternum. In this position, Kagome could feel his heart beating against her skin and disgustingly the phlegm moving in his chest with each painful sounding breath. But he was calm and he was awake so she couldn't complain all that much.

"Here," she replied cautiously, and she felt his lips twitch upwards before she felt him go slack. If it wasn't for the fact that she could still feel his heartbeat Kagome would have screamed. Looking down at him from the awkward angle, she saw the jagged purple lines begin to fade just as Enji pulled back the mat and a somewhat irked Sango came storming in.

"I _told_ you we weren't keep them here by force," Enji huffed as he came in behind her, "We were just concerned. They're in no position to defend themselves."

Kagome's tear filled eyes met Sango's and the slayer wilted visibly. The way Inuyasha's body was currently displayed accentuated each and every thing wrong. The dark purple veins across his chest and side were the biggest concern but the highly visible purple marks on his cheeks were somewhat more concerning at the moment.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango breathed in a frightened tone as her hand slowly reached for the boomerang on her back before freezing when the miko shook her hand and glanced pointedly at the extremely calm full demon in her embrace. The slayer set her jaw and slowly removed the boomerang but didn't brandish it. Just in case she wanted to have it ready if it became needed.

Enji noticed the slayer's action but didn't appear to think much of it. He seemed more concerned with what Kagome was doing.

"I told you not to move," he chided as he began walking towards her in a clear attempt to move Inuyasha from his position. Tensing, Kagome shook her head and leaned away.

"I didn't. He stopped breathing," Kagome clipped back defensively while silently praying he didn't think anything was odd with the fully transformed demon in her arms.

"But you opened your wounds helping him. You should've called for me," he clipped back, "Now Hana is going to have to stitch you up all over again and you're going to be…"

"Miroku has your backpack Kagome-chan," Sango interrupted as she stepped around the young man who, if anything, looked more annoyed. If not slightly panicked like he was anticipating only bad things especially when the slayer turned to face him and asked quietly, "They're on the outskirts of the village. Would you go…"

"Okay listen. _I_ was left in charge and…and you _both_ need to…"

"Enji what did you do?" a new voice sighed heavily before a woman appeared in the doorway with a basket of herbs balanced on her hip, "You had exactly one task and…"

"It was _not_ my fault," her husband countered as he pointed to the miko, "This one woke up and then the demon woke up and this slayer showed up…"

"Peace. Peace," his wife laughed softly, "I was simply teasing."

Giving Sango a weary once over, she cleared her throat and tried to seem intimidating, "I must ask you to leave slayer. These patients are under my protection and…and I will not see either harmed."

Sango immediately tensed as Kagome groaned and Inuyasha seemed to stir slightly. Neither reaction from the poor miko's friends were good. That statement probably rubbed the slayer the wrong way as much as it might have confused her. On top of that Sango was definitely not going to leave when Inuyasha was possibly a full demon hell-bent on killing them all. Inuyasha was stirring for god knows what reason and Kagome could only pray he stayed asleep or unconscious or what have you until those purple marks receded. Either way, the poor girl – despite her best attempts to seem intimidating - was almost a full head shorter than the slayer and while not overweight, she certainly didn't appear overly fit. In fact, her stomach…it almost looked like she might be in the beginning stages of…

Everything seemed to escalate as Enji damn near launched himself in between the slayer and his clearly _pregnant_ wife.

"Hana, so this is, um, Sango," he cut in with an awkward strained laugh as he moved to block his wife's way, "And this is Kagome. They, um, know each other. Oh and the demon is Inuyasha."

Hana was obviously trying not to laugh at this spectacle before she side-stepped him and bowed slightly to the slayer.

"I do apologize for deceiving you earlier," she apologized, "I was just concerned…"

Enji gave Kagome an imploring look like he was asking her to do something. His eyes glanced at his wife's stomach before meeting the other miko's eyes again. It clicked. He was worried Sango might start a physical fight with his pregnant wife. Smiling sadly, Kagome allowed her thoughts to wander what Inuyasha would do if he _was_ her husband and _she_ was pregnant. Probably wouldn't let her leave the house. _Definitely_ wouldn't let her leave the house. There were be no fighting. No doing much of anything.

But he wasn't really hers. Inuyasha loved Kikyo. His demon self was just confused at the moment. Or something.

"No, no I understand completely," Sango rushed to reassure the young woman with a very forced smile, "You were simply protecting my friends and I am very grateful."

The young miko smiled and turned her attention to Kagome, "I'm very glad you are awake. Your husband…"

Startling slightly, Sango choked and turned beet red but the miko didn't appear to notice or if she did, she ignored it.

"Your husband seems to have woken up as well," Hana finished as she gave the still extremely red slayer a strange look.

"Just for a little bit," Kagome cleared her throat before sighing, "I opened my stitches trying to calm him down."

Sango coughed lightly as she gave her friend a look that clearly screamed curiosity and complete disbelief.

"Ah, so you did," the miko laughed softly as she handed the herbs over to an anxious looking Enji and knelt down to inspect the damage, "Actually you didn't break any but it does appear irritated."

"One less thing," Kagome hummed shakily as she continued scratching Inuyasha's scalp before making eye contact with Sango, "Would you two mind leaving us? I need to ask my friend a few questions. _Alone_."

Hana nodded and her and Enji left the room. Kagome watched them go and once she was sure they weren't standing at the door, she let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. Gesturing for Sango to come closer, she glanced once more at the door before saying anything.

"He keeps turning full demon," Kagome breathed barely louder than a whisper and Sango let out a long sigh.

"I can see that. Has he tried to attack you or them or…"

Kagome shook her head and continued stroking the half-demon's silver hair.

"He hasn't. He seems like he might still be in control," Kagome sighed heavily, "And he was talking to me. Kinda. Short one word sentences."

"Wait, he _talked_ to you?" Sango hissed as her eyes grew wide and the miko nodded.

"It surprised me too. I'm not sure what's happening to him but its not good," Kagome laughed bitterly, "And I don't…"

"Why do they assume Inuyasha is your husband?" Sango teased in an effort to lessen the sudden tension, "Which you did _not_ correct by the way. Did something happen when you two were alone? _Other_ than being injured."

"I don't know these people. It could be why they're treating him. I didn't want to risk telling the truth," Kagome replied defensively, "But that doesn't have anything to do with Inuyasha turning into a full demon version of himself that can _talk_."

"That is odd," Sango admitted before shaking her head, "We found where you were attacked and tracked the blood trail here. We thought…we _knew_ you had to be here but that miko is quite powerful. She has sutras placed to mask Inuyasha's aura. Honestly, we were fearing the worst…"

"I think Naraku might be involved," Kagome sighed as she ran her fingers through Inuyasha's mane, "Maybe…I mean just look at his injuries. I think he…"

"Whatever Naraku has done won't work. Inuyasha will survive as he always does," Sango comforted before giving her friend a reassuring smile. Inuyasha groaned and nuzzled Kagome's chest while mumbling something neither the slayer or miko couldn't make out.

"I've never seen injuries like that. Other than blood poisoning but…but even then," the slayer sighed shakily, "Maybe Miroku would know more."

At the mention of the monk, Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open. His crimson eyes were unfocused even though they flickered towards the slayer. After a long tense moment, he finally spoke.

"You," he managed hoarsely, "Here?"

Sango glanced at Kagome who shook her head and scratched the base of the transformed half-demon's ear. It took a moment for Sango to figure out exactly what he was asking.

"We followed the blood trail," the slayer explained and Inuyasha nodded against Kagome's skin before letting out a shuddering sigh and his eyelids drooped over his still crimson eyes.

"Pack?" he mumbled as he struggled to stay awake and Sango cleared her throat.

"Miroku and Shippo are here too. They're waiting for my signal," she supplied and once again Inuyasha nodded. Sango held her breath as she watched for any signs of violence but only saw and heard labored breathing and pain. Whatever had attacked was no ordinary demon and given their injuries, it seemed Inuyasha took the brunt of whatever had been thrown at them. A predictable reaction.

Something about that last thought gave Sango pause. Every enemy they'd ever faced before would know that Inuyasha put himself in harms way. Especially where Kagome was involved. The injuries on her miko friend were deep and could have ended quite badly had they not been treated but Inuyasha's injuries…there was something almost purposeful about them. Why poison one but not the other?

"How were you attacked?" Sango asked quietly and Kagome sighed.

"It was my fault. We were setting up camp and I didn't feel the demon coming until it was on me," she began wearily, "It slashed my stomach and then waited for…"

Kagome blinked once as something occurred to her, "It _waited_ for Inuyasha to show up. That demon didn't even try to take the jewel shards."

"Did anything…"

"Hot," Inuyasha suddenly groaned as he buried his face into Kagome's chest. Following up his non-statement with a whine, it seemed like he was asking the miko to do something to make it colder.

"There's some damp cloths over there," Kagome whispered to Sango who quickly found one, wrung it out and presented it. Pressing the cool rag against his throat, Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief and hummed.

"He's acting so odd," Sango breathed and Kagome laughed once.

"Tell me about it," she mumbled, "If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears."

"This demon that attacked you," Sango began hesitantly, "Did it have Naraku's aura?"

"As far as I could tell it didn't have an aura," Kagome admitted, "Or it was excellent at hiding it."

"When Inuyasha is more lucid we'll need to ask about scent," the slayer huffed as her mind raced a mile a minute, "This has Naraku written all over it."

"I would agree except why would…"

"Maybe Naraku did something to turn Inuyasha into a full demon," Sango asked in a mildly horrified tone, " _Permanently_ I mean. That would explain how he's more in control."

"It wouldn't explain these lines though," Kagome muttered as she considered her friend's suggestion, "And _why_ would Naraku want to do that? That makes no sense."

"Does Naraku ever make sense? And if this was Naraku, perhaps he thought Inuyasha would be easier to kill in this form," Sango offered, "Or maybe he thought Inuyasha would kill us? Do his job for him?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. It could also just be that he's just fighting off the poison any way he can," the miko sighed, "Why don't you go get Miroku and Shippo? Maybe they have some better ideas."


End file.
